Automatic car-step.



PATENTED JULY 5, 1904.

J. L. HINBS. AUTOMATIC GAR STEP. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1, 1003.

3 BHEETS-SHBIIT 1.

N0 MODEL.

. INVENTOI? Jbaeph L fi'n es By M A TTORNE YS PATENTBIJ JULY 5, 1904.

J. L. HINBS.

AUTOMATIC UAR STEP.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7, mos. N0 MODEL. 3 snnmwaunm 2.

H Hi I I hu .INVE

JsephLJfz'nea A TTOHNE YS PATBNTED JULY 5, 1904.

v No. 764,467.

J. L. HINES. AUTOMATIC UAR STEP.

1 APPLIGATION FILED HOV. K1903.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

no MODEL:

W/ TNE SSE S A Tron/v5 YS Patented. July 5, 1934.

PATENT OEEIcE.

JOSEPH L. HINES, OF DUNN, NORTH OAROLlNA.

AUTOMATlIC OAR-STEP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 764,467, dated July 5, 1904.

Application filed November 7, 1903. Serial No. 180,199. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OSEPH L. HIN E. a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Dunn, in the county of I-Iarnett and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and Improved Automatic Oar-Step, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in foldable steps for vehicles, the same being especially useful on railway passenger-cars in order that the adjustable step may be lowered for passengers to mount and dismount with ease and safety when the car is at rest.

In this invention I seek to provide a simple and efficient construction whereby on the starting of the train the foldable step will be automatically released and elevated to a compact condition and within the car-lines. The foldable step is held in its inactive raised condition while the car is in motion, so as not to be influenced by the swaying or travel of the car; but when the car stops the step can be instantly lowered and locked in an operative position. With the step-operating appliances 1 have associated a novel form of actuating means which becomes effective in tripping the step-locking devices irrespective of the distance between the cars and promptly on starting the cars in motion, one member of this actuating means being thrown automatically to and held in its inactive position on the elevation of the foldable step.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the course of the subjoincd description, and the actual scope thereof will be defined by the annexed claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional elevation through the meeting ends of two railway-cars,illustrating the application of my improvements thereto. Fig. 2 is an end view of one of the cars, partly in section, with my improved automatically-foldable steps applied thereto. Fig. 3 is a detail fragmentary perspective view illustrating certain parts of my improved foldable step, and Fig. 4 is a detail horizontal sectional view illustrating one form of spring-latch mechanism which is adapted to lock the movable part of the :foldable step in its lowered operative position.

A B designate the meeting platforms of two railway-cars, which are equipped with the usual draw-bars O, having a couplin 1). Each car may be of the usual or any preferred construction, and the platform of said car is equipped with permanent steps E, the same consisting of a plurality of treads e.

F designates a slidable frame which is equipped at its lower end with a movable step f, the latter being disposed below the final tread c of the series and movable relatively thereto. The frame F is fitted slidably to the frame which supports the plurality of treads e of the set of steps, said frame F being slidably confined within the set of steps E. The frame F is provided at its upper end with a cross-piecef", to which is attached a liftingspr ing G. This spring may be of the coiled variety shown by the drawings, and it is connected at its upper extremity to the under side of the car-platform. the tendency of the spring being to quickly elevate the adjustable frame F and the lower tread f of the set of steps. I do not desire, howclfiyer, to confine myself to the specilic construction and arrangemcnt of the spring, because 1 am aware that other kinds of springs may be used and that two or more of the coiled springs may be attached to the frame F for elevating it and that a counterweight may be used in lieu of the spring or springs.

One tread e of the steps is provided on its under side with a latch-casing it, in which is slidably confined a latch-boltll, the latter being impelled in one direction by the energy of a suitable spring 71.. The nose or free end of the latch-bolt is adapted for engagen'ient with a keeper 71. which is provided on a side piece of the slidable frame F, said keeper being shown by Fig. 4C in the form of a notch. WVhen the car is at rest, the operator or attendant should pull down on the step f so as to lower it and the slidable frame F until the keeper a of said frame is opposite to the latch-bolt H, the latter being impelled by its s rin it into en a ement with the keeper for the purpose of locking the frame F and the lower tread f in their operative positions.

I have provided means whereby the frame F and its tread may be automatically released from the bolt H when the car starts in motion, whereby the delay due to the operation of the latch-bolt H is obviated. On the under side of each car-platform is secured a housing or casing L within which is arranged a slide J and a pressure-spring j, the latter being indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The spring acts against the rear end of the. slide J, which is mounted for endwise movement within the casing I, and this slide is prolonged or extended beyond the front end of the platform, the slide being fitted in a keeper j, which is secured to the platform near its extreme edge. The slides J of the two cars are provided at their exposed ends with coupling-heads k, which are adapted to be separably united by any suitable form of coupling, the operation of coupling the slides J being independent of the couplings D between the draw-bars of the two cars. Between each slide J and the slidable step-frame F is a train of connections by which the latch-bolt is automatically retracted when the cars pull apart in the operation of starting the train, and to permit the slide J to operate this train of connections at any period of its movement I have constructed said slide with a series of ratchet-teeth Z on the under side or lower edge thereof.

at designates a bearing-block which is fixed to the under side of the platform at a suitable distance from the slide J, one of these bearing-blocks being disposed on each side of the slide. This bearing-block is provided witha bolt m, on which is fulcrumed a lever L, the latter being capable of limited movement in vertical and horizontal planes. This lever is arranged on the under side of the car-platform so as to lie substantially at right angles to the slide J, the latter being disposed longitudinally of the car and above the draw-bar thereof. One end of the lever L projects beneath the ratchet edge Z of the slide, and this end of the lever is provided with a catch-plate M, the latter having a tooth M, which engages with one of the ratchet-teeth Z of the slide. (See Fig. 1.) The upper end of the lever L is extended toward the steps E on one side of the car, and this lever is forked or slotted to embrace the upper widened end 0 of an inclined lever O, the latter being fulcrumed at 0 on therear side of the set of steps E. To the lower end of the inclined lever O is attached one end of a chain or flexible connection P, the other end of which is attached to an eye 1 on the latch-bolt H. (See Figs. 1 and 4.)

The lever L is provided with a shank L at its bifurcated or forked end, and this shank is projected into the path of a dog Q, which is slidably mounted on the steps E so as to lie in the path of the cross-piece f at the upper end of the slidable frame F. This dog has longitudinal slots q, through which are passed suitable studs or pins q, that are fastened to the permanent steps E, so as to slidably hold the dog Q in position for engagement by the frame F when the latter is lifted by the energy of the spring G. The dog Q is provided at its 'upper end with a buffer or cushion R, the latter being adapted to engage with the shank L of the lever L and to lift one end of said lever, thereby lowering the other end'of the lever and disengaging the catch-plate M from engagement with the ratchet-teeth of the slide J. The forked end of the lever L is provided with a counterpoise or weight L the latter serving to depress one end of the lever and elevate the inner end of said lever, so that the catch-plate will engage with. the ratchetslide.

l/Vhen the cars are at rest and the couplingheads k of the slides J are coupled, the porter is able to pull the frame F in a downward direction, so as to lower the tread f below the final tread e, in which position the frame F is locked by the action of the bolt H. The adjustable frame and tread are thus held firmly in place, so as to be convenient to the passengers in mounting or dismounting the car, and in this position of the parts the weighted outer end L of the-lever L is lowered, while its inner end is raised for the catch-plate M to engage with one tooth of the ratchet-s1 ide. When the cars are started, they have a tendency to pull apart for a limited distance, as is well known to those skilled in the art, and I have utilized this tendency as a means for automatically releasing the steps, whereby the latter are unlocked and the springs raise the treads f without attention on the part of the porter. It will be seen that endwise movement is given to the slides J on starting the train, and the outward movements of these slides operate through the catch-plates M to turn the levers L in horizontal planes, whereby the outer ends of the levers L will move the upright levers O to pull on the chains P and withdraw the latch-bolts, whereupon the springs G become effective in raising the frames F and the treads f. The upward movement of each frame F raises the dog Q, and the cushion R of said dog acts on the shank L to raise the outer end of the lever L against the energy of the counterpoise or weight L thus lowering the catch-plate and the inner end of said lever L from the path of the ratchet-teeth of theslide J, whereby the oscillation or movement of the train will have no efiect on the actuating mechanism for the bolt of the slidable stepframe F.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination with a set of steps, of a slidable step-frame, means for locking said step-frame in an active position, and means operable by the starting of the train to automatically release the locking means for the step-frame.

2. The combination with a movable stepframe adapted to be locked below a set of steps,

, of means actuated by the movement of a car for automatically releasing said step-frame.

3. The combination with a movable stepframe adapted to be locked below a set of steps, of means controllable by the movement of the train for releasing said step-frame, and means for elevating the step-frame to an inoperative position.

4. The combination with a set of car-steps, of a slide adapted to be moved endwise by the starting of a train, a movable step-frame, means for locking said step-frame in a lowered position, and connections between said slide and the locking means, for releasing the latter.

5. The combination with a set of car-steps, and a movable step-frame, of means for locking said step-frame in a lowered position, means for quickly elevating the step-frame, a lever connected with the locking means, and

a slide arranged to actuate the lever on the movement of the car.

6. The combination with a set of car-steps, a movable stop-frame, and means for locking and for lifting said frame, of a slide actuated by the movement of the car and provided with a tooth, and a lever having means disposed for engagement with said tooth of the slide and connected operatively with the locking mechanism.

7: The combination with amovable stepirame adapted to be locked in a lowered position, of a slide having a series of teeth, a countcrpoised lever having a catch for engagement with said teeth, and means disposed in the path of the step-frame and adapted to act on the lever to hold it in an abnormal relation to the slide.

In testimony whereof I have signed my n amc to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH L. HINES. Witnesses:

S. J. HooKs, EDWI). PURDIE. 

